Newel posts for stairways and level balustrades are typically anchored only at the bottom, but must withstand tremendous lateral forces applied at hand or guard rail height. Builders have traditionally cut through treads and floors in order to fasten newel posts as much as possible directly to the underlying joisting. However, current building methods and tight production schedules are not conducive to cutting holes in framed flooring, or to building additional support for posts in the joisting. As a result, there have been many attempts to provide improved methods for attaching newels to conventionally framed structures, ranging from surface mount brackets to extra-long bolts.
Eldeen's newel post assembly (U.S. Pat. No. 4,367,864) relies on a flat plate assembled to the transverse bottom surface of the newel post using a plurality of fasteners, one large faster, or U-shaped tie bar. The post assembly depends on small flanges extending out from underneath the newel and a plurality of screws to make the floor anchorage. This type of anchor plate, with its small flanges for floor anchorage, typically exhibits insufficient resistance to deformation, or pull out, when code minimum lateral pressures of 200 lbs. or more are applied at typical hand or guard rail heights.
Bartel's newel anchoring approach (U.S. Pat. No. 6,290,212) involves a specially developed tubular newel that makes it impractical for all but a very limited number of installations.
The newel anchoring plate featured in the Roberts & Collins U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,549 is even less resistance to deformation and pullout than Eldeen's plate approach.
Grimm's U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,160 utilizes a plurality of corner brackets that mount to the floor and then to the newel. Though the screws into the sides of the newel provide more pullout resistance than endgrain screws such as those used in Eldeen's anchor, the angled extensions through which the floor-mounting screws are fastened do not offer sufficient resistance to floor pullout when code-level lateral pressures are applied.
The same is true of Reed's bracket approach in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,794,395 and 5,143,472. Though the screws in the sides of the newel hold well, the flanges that are fastened to the floor do not offer sufficient hold-down strength when the posts are subjected to code-level pressures.
Nicholas' U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,538 provides a novel hidden approach to newel attachment, however the newel post fastening system of Nicholas has no ability to withstand code-level lateral pressures. The same is true of the popular key-lock style newel anchorage.
When the lag bolt of O'Brien's newel anchorage (U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,668) penetrates deeply into a solid wood floor or rim joist, the anchorage is very firm below the floor level. The anchorage to the newel requires a large hole drilled up through the center of the newel and a large access hole in its side in order to attach a nut and washer. This makes this system unpopular with builders who do not want unsightly plugs on their newel posts. This system is also prone to disassembly of newel posts composed of softer woods or made of multiple staves when code-level pressure is applied.
The disclosures of all of the above-referenced patents are incorporated herein by reference.
The newel anchoring system disclosed herein offers improved performance relative to previously disclosed newel anchorage methods, and allows surface fastening of newel posts to any conventionally framed wood floor that meets national codes, or concrete floor, Without fear of failure when code-level pressures are applied at hand or guard rail heights. The anchoring system includes eight brackets designed to individually solve the specific newel fastening challenges experienced in conventional building and to provide code-compliant method of attachment of softwood or hardwood newel posts that is quick, easy to use, and reliable. The invention includes normal-duty and heavy-duty inside corner balcony newel-anchoring brackets, normal-duty and heavy-duty outside corner balcony newel-anchoring brackets, a terminating newel anchoring-bracket, a mid balcony newel-anchoring bracket, a curb wall landing newel-anchoring bracket, and a curb wall starting newel-anchoring bracket.